Mallard Primary School

Age group Published Reference no. Mallard Primary School

p.1

Unique Reference Number 134235 LEA Doncaster

p.1

Inspection number 274847 Inspection dates 21-22 June, 2005 Reporting inspector Michael Onyon

p.1

Inspection deemed to have been carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 according to section 12(3) of the same act.

p.1

Type of School Primary School address School category Community Age range of pupils 3 - 11 Cedar Road Balby Doncaster Gender of pupils Mixed Telephone number 01302 859116 Number on roll 442 Fax number 01302 857286 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair of governors Mrs D Chamberlain Date of previous inspection None Headteacher Mrs D E Skelley

p.1

3 - 11 July 2005 274847 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

p.1

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Inspection Report: Mallard Primary School, 21-22 June 2005 1

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was a pilot of the new arrangements for inspection announced by Ofsted in its consultation paper of February 2004. It was carried out by three additional inspectors supported by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

The school is situated in the Balby district of Doncaster. The proportion of pupils entitled to a free school meal is average. An average proportion of children are from ethnic minorities, with a higher than average number of pupils learning English as an additional language. Three-year-olds, when joining the nursery, have skills and knowledge below average for their age, especially in their language and social development. About one in five children has special educational needs (SEN) connected with a range of learning difficulties and potential problems with behaviour.

p.3

Description of the school

The school was formed by the amalgamation of Nightingale Infant and Ambler Junior schools in September, 2003, and is currently located on two sites, pending the completion of building work to bring the two former schools onto one site. It is part of a cluster of local schools and receives additional funding through the e-learning initiative.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Grade 1 Outstanding Grade 2 Good Grade 3 Satisfactory Grade 4 Inadequate Inspection Report: Mallard Primary School, 21-22 June 2005 2

p.3

Overall effectiveness of the school

The school provides a satisfactory education for its pupils. Whilst the school judges its effectiveness to be good, in the inspectors’ view it is satisfactory. Children make a good start in the Foundation Stage (the nursery and reception classes) and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory throughout the rest of the school. Their personal development is good and the vast majority of the pupils develop good attitudes to learning and behave very well. The teaching staff are caring and supportive, particularly to disadvantaged children and those with SEN, and there are good links with other schools and the community. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, as are the school’s leadership and management. The school is beginning to focus effectively on its priorities for the future and its capacity to improve is satisfactory. As a new school, it has not been previously inspected but has made good progress to bring together the

p.4

Overall effectiveness of the school

staff of the two schools. It provides satisfactory value for money.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in Key Stage 2, particularly of the most able pupils. • Continue to improve teaching and learning by planning lessons more effectively to meet the needs of the more able pupils.

p.4

Achievement and standards

The school’s self-evaluation states that pupils’ achievement is good but the inspectors judge it as satisfactory. Children in the nursery and reception classes make good progress in learning basic skills and social skills, and in settling down to work. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and, by the end of Year 2, the standards achieved by pupils are average for their age. Achievement is again satisfactory in Key Stage 2 but there is room for improvement. Standards are well below the national average in Year 6 although they match those of similar schools. The school does not expect to meet its targets in 2005. The results of the national tests vary from year to year and girls tend to reach higher standards than boys, but the school is beginning to work to eliminate this difference. The main reason that standards are well below average is that few children exceed the level expected for their age. It is

p.4

Achievement and standards

therefore important for the school to raise the standards achieved by the more able pupils in Key Stage 2.

p.4

Personal development and well-being

As evaluated correctly by the school, the children’s personal development is good. Most pupils work hard and enjoy their lessons. Behaviour is very good and the school is a calm and orderly community. Pupils are polite and caring towards each other and work together well. Attendance is below average but the school is working hard to improve it. The school encourages pupils to adopt safe and healthy lifestyles. Pupils say they feel safe in school; this is because of warm relationships and the good advice and guidance that they receive. Pupils are expected to take responsibility for their own learning and, as a result, they learn to work independently.

p.5

Personal development and well-being

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is good overall, with strengths in their moral and social development. Pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of world faiths and cultural traditions but are not made fully aware of the ethnic and cultural diversity of modern Britain.

p.5

Personal development and well-being

Pupils willingly accept responsibility and are prepared to take the initiative. School Council members take their role seriously and, for example, have helped to plan and order new resources for the playground. Pupils’ basic skills of literacy and numeracy are a satisfactory preparation for the next phase of education and for life beyond school. Pupils make a positive contribution to the community by supporting charities, recycling and taking part in local community activities.

p.5

Teaching and learning

In the school’s view, the quality of teaching and learning is good. The inspection shows that the teaching has considerable strengths but also shows that an important aspect of teaching could be improved. Overall, the teaching is satisfactory.

p.5

Teaching and learning

Lessons are generally well prepared with resources used well to maintain pupils’ attention and to illustrate teaching points. The teachers use national guidance effectively to plan their teaching. Teachers encourage pupils to work hard and to contribute to discussions, which effectively develop pupils’ speaking skills. The opportunities provided in many lessons for pupils to work with partners and in groups are particularly successful in encouraging them to become involved in their own improvement, especially in learning the skills to be critical of their own work and that of others. In the better lessons, pupils make brisk progress. The introduction of targets for pupils, in literacy, for example, has increased their enthusiasm to improve their work, especially when they are personally involved in setting their own targets. However, the teachers should plan their lessons to take greater account of the needs of the more able pupils so that

p.5

Teaching and learning

they can reach their full potential. By contrast, pupils with SEN do reach the targets set for them because their work matches their individual capabilities well and because they have effective special help in small groups from the teaching assistants.

p.6

Curriculum and other activities

The pupils enjoy a wide range of experiences which help them to make steady progress in the subjects of the curriculum and to develop their good personal skills from an early age. The children experience a good curriculum in the nursery and reception classes, which enables them to make good progress, for example, in learning the basic skills of literacy and numeracy and in their personal development. In Key Stages 1 and 2, each subject of the National Curriculum is taught regularly and lessons cover work suitable for each age group. The organisation of the curriculum is adapted well to enable pupils with special educational needs to receive the additional attention they need. The clubs and activities provided outside lesson time are a major source of enjoyment for pupils and successfully encourage attendance, personal development and fitness.

p.6

Care, guidance and support

The school gives good attention to pupils’ safety and well-being. Good health and safety and child protection procedures are in place, with regular training provided for adults. Procedures are in place for sex education and to inform pupils about the dangers of drugs misuse. The care for pupils with SEN is good and staff plan flexibly to meet the specific needs of these pupils. Some pupils who might otherwise find it difficult to sustain good behaviour flourish in the school’s supportive community. Targets for learning are now being shared with pupils so that they know what they have to do to improve.

p.6

Leadership and management

The school judges leadership and management to be good. The inspectors judge them as satisfactory although there are some good features. Governors are supportive of the new school and have discharged their duties properly. All involved with the school are eagerly looking forward to the move to the new building. The partnership with parents is strong and, as a consequence, the school is firmly rooted in its community.

p.7

Leadership and management

Site management, the new building work, and having to operate as two schools have taken a great deal of time and energy. The headteacher and senior staff have secured the children’s personal development and are now beginning to focus on raising their academic achievement. This is an important step because the school needs to raise standards in Key Stage 2. The school has subject leaders with responsibility for each subject; however, the distance between the sites makes it difficult for them to co-ordinate the work in their subjects. Inspection Report: Mallard Primary School, 21-22 June 2005 6

p.7

Leadership and management

procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about HMI-led Ofsted inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

p.8

INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate.

p.9

meeting the needs of learners? 3

How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners’ well-being? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school’s self-evaluation 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Yes/No Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

p.9

How well do learners achieve? 3

The standards reached by learners 3 How well learners’ make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress 3

p.9

being of the learners? 2

The extent of learners’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community. 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being 3

p.9

achievement and supporting all learners? 3

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self- review 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can 3 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money 3 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities 3 The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

p.10

appropriate

Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily. Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise. Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse. Yes Learners are educated about sexual health. Yes

p.10

appropriate

Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements. Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place. Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism. Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them. Yes

p.10

appropriate

Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships. Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them. Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

p.10

appropriate

There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills. Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams. Yes Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in Key Stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form. NA Education for all learners aged 14-19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy. NA

p.10

Annex B

Mallard Primary School Cedar Road Balby Doncaster

p.11

Annex B

Thank you for welcoming us and helping us to look at the things that you do, during our recent visit to your school. We very much enjoyed talking to you about your work and watching you learn.

p.11

Annex B

• Your school is a happy place where everybody is included and gets the chance to show how well they can do things.

p.11

Annex B

• You are friendly and welcome visitors to your school.

p.11

Annex B

• You are very kind and polite to each other when you are learning and when you are playing outside.

p.11

Annex B

• You know a lot about staying healthy and how to be safe.

p.11

Annex B

• You take the opportunities that your school gives you to help make decisions.

p.11

Annex B

• Adults look after you well and give you lots of good advice and support.

p.11

What we have asked your school to do now:

• Encourage you to do even better by the time you leave the school, in Year 6.

p.11

What we have asked your school to do now:

• Check carefully how the school is doing.

p.11

What we have asked your school to do now:

Mr M Onyon (Lead Inspector) Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 Www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.11